Let’s talk about tulip fields in the Netherlands. There are so many ways to see the beautiful tulips in Holland from the most popular Keukenhof Gardens and the nearby Bollenstreek tulip fields to the lesser known fields in Groningen. The flower fields aren’t just limited to the Amsterdam area where the majority of visitors go.
Do you want to know where to find beautiful tulip fields in the Netherlands and have them almost to yourself? You’ve come to the right place.
After living in the Netherlands for over 2 years and visiting Holland two tulip seasons before we moved, we have uncovered some incredible tulip fields in the Netherlands to visit. I can’t wait to share them with you.
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When Is Tulip Season In The Netherlands
Every spring, tulips bloom all over Holland. Tulip season is from Mid-March to Mid-May and is the busiest travel period for tourists visiting the Netherlands. The peak blooming time varies depending on the weather.
If it is sunny, the tulips bloom sooner, and if it is rainy, they will peak a little later. Usually the best time to see the tulip fields in the Netherlands is Mid-April to Mid-May.
According to Tulip Festival Amsterdam, the 2026 Tulip Bloom Season will be as follows:
- Early Spring Flower Blooms: late March to early April (doesn’t include the tulip fields)
- Peak Blooms: Second week of April to early May
- Season end: Around May 10
Tulip Fields Near Amsterdam With The Biggest Crowds
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention some of the most popular areas to see the tulips in the Netherlands. If anything, I want to give you information on where NOT to go if you want to skip the crowds. All of these locations are still beautiful, so you can’t go wrong.
During the spring, the influx of tourists in the Netherlands is significant. There is only a short time to see the tulips and everyone wants to see them. The majority of the tourists will spend their days wandering the fields and gardens in the Bollenstreek flower strip which is the area between Haarlem and Leiden. At the center of it all is the world famous Keukenhof Gardens in Lisse.
Since this area is so close to Amsterdam, it is the most convenient and most easily accessible. It is definitely set up for tourism, which makes it easy to visit.
There are many resources online to explore this area if you desire, and you can still enjoy the tulips despite the crowds. However, if you are anything like me, you want to find the tulip fields in the Netherlands without big crowds. So, let’s get to it.
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The Beautiful Undiscovered Tulip Fields In The Netherlands
Below are my favorite areas with tulip fields in the Netherlands to visit in the spring. You will find destinations below where the concentration of tulip fields are high. It isn’t just one plot of land, but many different fields in close proximity.
Flevoland Province
Noordoostpolder Tulip Festival
For a beautiful drive through the fields or an experience on a bike, take the path through Noordoostpolder. The Tulip Festival Noordoostpolder goes on around Emmeloord, which is about an hour from Amsterdam.
The dates of the 2026’s Tulip Festival Noordoostpolder have just been announced! This year’s festival will be held April 17th to May 3, 2026.
In 2025, we had a friend visit from Colorado during the tulip season and we chose to drive through the tulip fields in Noordoostpolder. It was such a treat to show off the many many tulip fields in this area. We kept finding different varieties of tulips, that we had to stop at each one.
By the 20th stop, our kids had given up and stayed in the car, while we couldn’t get enough. Of all the tulip fields in the Netherlands that we have visited, this is my favorite location so far.
All you have to do is follow the signage around the route to find the dramatic tulip fields. If you would like to know the exact route in advance, you can find the 114km car route and 24km biking route maps for 2025 here.
When you click on the map, it will open Google maps with the route. If you don’t want to complete the full route, it is quite long, you can see where the tulip fields are on the map and make your own route.
This is ultimately what we did. We started by following the route, got hungry and drove to Lemmer for lunch (cute town!) and continued exploring the tulip fields for a little bit longer afterwards.
Another cute town near these tulip fields is Giethoorn with its thatched roof homes and picturesque canals and bridges. It can be a bit busy during this time of year, but it’s worth a stop.
Important Information – Tulip Fields Netherlands
The fields along the route and many around the Netherlands are for viewing only. You are not allowed to go into the fields and take pictures or park on the farmers’ lands.
There are two locations along the Noordoostpolder route where you can take pictures inside the fields, The Tulip Experience Field and The Tulip Picking Garden.
- The Tulip Experience Field: This tulip field in Creil is the place to get picturesque photos of you walking in the tulip fields along the Noordoostpolder route. You can also enjoy a cup of coffee and stretch your legs. It’s free to enter and is open from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm every day during the Noordoostpolder Tulip Festival.
- Tulip Picking Garden: De Tulpenpluktuin in Marknesse is not officially a part of the Tulip Festival but is located in a great spot for you to easily visit while you are in the area enjoying the tulips. Enjoy a cup of coffee and pick a beautiful bouquet of tulips! It is €2.50 to enter the picking gardens and €10 for a bucket of up to 30 tulips.
Dronton, Lelystad, Swifterbant And Zeewolde
In addition to the Noordoostpolder route, there are other areas in the Flevoland province that are worth checking out since this area has such a high concentration of tulip fields in Holland.
Tulpenroute Flevoland has car and bicycle routes that pass through Dronton, Lelystad, and Zeewolde. There’s an additional cycling route that goes through Swifterbant too.
You can download the bicycle routes here beforehand.
With the car routes, you will need to pay €5 per car and download an app to view the way. You can only view the route on the day you have chosen, so choose your day wisely!
The cool thing about the driving app is that, in addition to showing you the way through the fields, it also gives fun facts about the tulips and the surrounding area!
North Holland – North Of Amsterdam
By Car Or By Bike
Kop van Noord-Holland, also known as the Head of Holland, has tulip fields sprinkled all over the countryside. This area about an hour north of Amsterdam is best explored by bike or by car in my opinion.
It is more of a make your own adventure destination for the tulips fields in this area of the Netherlands. There are no planned out routes for you to take.
If going by bike, start your adventure in Schagen and rent bikes at Fred’s Verhuur.
From there, plan your route using the app Fietsknoop. This handy app shows all the bike routes in the Netherlands and makes it easy to navigate them. You can even save the routes you want to take in advance.
I would suggest biking or driving towards Callantsoog through Schagerbrug. If you have the energy and the time, check out the area around Julianadorp and Anna Paulowna too to see some great tulips fields in the Netherlands.
By Steam Train
If you have little kids or if you are a train lover, taking a steam train could be a very fun option for you to see the tulip fields in the Netherlands. The tulip train, Museumstoomtram, goes between the towns of Hoorn and Medemblik in North Holland where you pass gorgeous tulip fields along the way.
You have an option to buy a one way ticket or a round trip ticket. Round trip tram costs are €28 for adults and €19.50 for children, 4-12. Kids under 4 are €2.
Please note that weekends sell out way in advance. I have tried to get tickets every year. I either look too late or the dates I want are sold out. Aim to take the train during the week and book in advance to guarantee your spot.
Goeree-Overflakkee
Another scenic area to explore the tulip fields in the Netherlands without crowds is just south of Rotterdam. The island of Goeree-Overflakkee is saturated with breathtaking tulip fields. Just like other locations, please be respectful of the farmers’ fields and never step on or cut the tulips.
I would recommend packing a lunch, driving around the country roads, and enjoying the beautiful sights of Goeree-Overflakkee. The fields’ locations change every year, but there are so many that it’s not hard to find them.
This year we are taking Mike’s brother and sister-in-law to Goeree-Overflakkee to see the tulip fields. I found an amazing bike rental shop near where we are staying in Ouddorp, so we are going to explore by bike this April. I’ll let you know how it goes.
Groningen Province
The west side of the Netherlands isn’t the only place to see the tulips either. Groningen province, where we live, is also a beautiful place to go tulip spotting.
The majority of the tulip fields are located near Uithuizermeeden, Spijk, Oosternieland and Kloosterburen. Since these blooming fields aren’t as close together, you need to drive around the area.
I can guarantee that you will find tulip fields where you are the only group there. The busiest field we found had about 20 people at it, if that. That yellow field below had no one else around!
Another option is to plan your trip to Groningen on April 18th, 2026 to participate in “Naar de Bollen.”
The Rotary in the Hogeland municipality puts on a day long event where they provide walking, biking and driving routes that give you the opportunity to see the best and most tulip fields in the area along with other fun activities placed throughout the route.
For more information visit the Rotary’s website here.
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So beautiful! I’ve never seen tulips in The Netherlands, I’d love to see them one day.
You should plan at trip! I have seen them 4 springs in a row and every time it takes my breath away.
This guide is great! I’d much rather drive through Flevoland and actually see the flowers instead of just people’s heads. The tip about the Tulip Picking Garden in Marknesse is exactly the kind of local experience I was looking for. Thank you!
Absolutely! I totally agree and thank you!
My travel to Europe has never lined up with blossoming tulips, but it is definitely on my bucket list.
It’s a lovely time of year to come to the Netherlands. I hope you can make it happen at some point!!
Although crowded each year, I love driving the flower route in the Lisse area. I’ve also been to the other areas in the Netherlands with tulips, although not in Groningen. I live in Utrecht, so easy to do. I love the tulip island in Zeewolde, Flevoland. It’s in the shape of an eye and is covered with all sorts of tulips.
The Lisse area is beautiful. We went on bikes, so it wasn’t too bad. Definitely much more busy than other areas in the Netherlands for seeing tulips though. Flevoland is so full of tulips. Such a beautiful area!